Isn't It Romantic?

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Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Published by The Dial Press on February 13, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.

Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream- adjacent , she’s hoping her passion and hard work will soon help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyal friendship with Willa is feeling off , right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is… suddenly kinda hot? Then there’s the baby's father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Eve found herself expecting following a one night stand, and it resulted in a most eye-opening and life changing experience.

I read this book from the perspective of a single mom. I was 21 when I found myself in a similar situation, and I can attest to sharing so many of the feelings Eve experienced. I thought Bastone did a beautiful job conveying and helping me understand Eve's emotional journey. Pregnancy can be scary, amazing, overwhelming, and a million other things, and I felt all of that along with Eve.

This was a story about a life-changing experience, but it was told with so much humor. Eve and her gang were a fun and funny group. I loved spending time with them, and I especially liked how strong their bond was. Though this situation was difficult for Eve's best friend, Willa, who was dealing with fertility issues, Willa was still a pillar of support for Eve. But the most wonderful source of endless kindness and assistance was Shep.

As the best friend's brother, Shep had been part of Eve's life in some capacity for a long time, but she was blind to what an incredible man he was. As I previously mentioned, Eve's pregnancy was eye-opening, and one of the things she began to see was Shep. He was such a beautifully formed cinnamon roll. So thoughtful and sweet, and you had to be oblivious to not see how much he loved and adored Eve.

Bastone put a lot of time and effort into all the relationships in this book. It was interesting to see how each character reacted to Eve's pregnancy, even the way her much older brothers reacted. Their feelings and emotions were a mixed bag, but none more than baby-daddy Ethan. I personally had a very complicated relationship with him. I think that one hit too close to home, but Bastone did provide reasons and allowed his arc to play out in a satisfying way.

The one thing I am struggling with is calling this a romance. The story just seemed to focus so much on Eve, her pregnancy, the way her life was affected, and the things she discovered about herself that it didn't feel like a romance to me. Shep was very present in the story, and Eve's evolving emotions related to him were explored, but I still feel the romance was more of a side plot. To be clear, that by no means diminished my adoration for this book, but I think it's important to set expectations properly.

Overall, I found this to be a touching tale that was filled with humor, snappy banter, heart, emotion, and warmth. I related on quite some level with Eve's personal journey, and therefore, felt so much. It was a pleasure to see Eve grow, evolve, find love and fulfillment, and become a mother.

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Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
Published by Forever on January 30, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Fate brings together a ballet teacher and a hockey player in this big-hearted novel about second chances and taking risks.

Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again…

Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”

The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.

Jenny Holiday always does such a wonderful job crafting heartwarming romances, and she has done it once again. I will admit, I was drawn to the premise of this book. I love the idea of fate, and how can I argue when the universe brought "Mall Mike" back into Aurora's life. It seemed like such a serendipitous reunion, too. Both Mike and Aurora found themselves weighed down with emotional baggage, and now they had each other to help unpack it.

Here I am, talking about baggage, making this book sound so heavy, but it wasn't. That's also a skill of Holiday's. She wove those weightier elements into the story in a way that did not disturb the overall lighter feel, and that's something I really appreciated. There's quite a bit of focus on mental health which I thought was handled well, but there was also so much fun, hope, and joy in the tale.

Mike was a doll who was still navigating his grief following his wife's death. The way he worked so hard on his relationship with his pre-teen daughter was so sweet, but there were all these other small, quiet things he did that showed off his heart of gold. And though it had been almost a decade since Aurora abandoned her ballerina dreams, she was still dealing with the scars it left behind. It was beautiful to see these two slightly-wounded people find some comfort and healing with each other.

As I have previously indicated, both Aurora and Mike had some work to do on themselves, so don't expect a whirlwind romance. This was more on the slow-burn though the attraction, sparks, desire, and everything else was obvious. But, not to worry friends. All that waiting was rewarded with a most precious epilogue. It was something that was so perfect for these two.

Overall: I adored seeing Aurora's Canadian boyfriends turn from fiction to reality and can confirm that real Canadian boyfriends >>> imaginary Canadian boyfriends.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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